OEKO-TEX® Standard 100: New Supplement for PPE

TSIM SHA TSUI, Hong Kong - Aug. 30, 2016 - PRLog -- Zurich (mh/hm) At the end of June, the OEKO-TEX® Association published two supplements to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 to add to its already existing product portfolio – an updated version of the already existing Supplement for "Special Articles", and a new Supplement for "Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Materials for PPE (as well as for military garments and uniforms comparable with PPE)".

Personal protective equipment is a highly specialized market segment in which the protective function of the available products is of crucial importance. To deflect or minimize potentially life threatening hazards by using protective clothing, for example, special materials have to be used. These materials (e.g. fibres, yarns, fabrics) usually have to be manufactured in special conditions with little scope for deviation or alternatives.

In order to take this into greater account, the OEKO-TEX® Association decided to publish the new, independent OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Supplement "Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Materials for PPE", which covers this specialized market segment. The majority of the criteria for PPE clothing and materials are still derived from the Standard 100 criteria catalogue. However, exceptions have been defined for certain substances (not least already on the basis of planned developments at a European level under REACh), including PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and its salts, and "PFOA related substances". This was done to take special requirements for a range of important protective materials and functions into account. The supplement also addresses diverse solvents and pigments separately. You can find more information at www.oeko-tex.com/supplement-ppe.

The years-old OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Supplement for "Special Articles" was also extensively revised during the development of the "PPE" supplement. This supplement is valid for such special articles that do not represent a "traditional" product within the application area of Standard 100. These include children's push chairs, suitcases, rucksacks, orthopedic articles, curtain kits, chairs and couches, etc. The "Special Articles" supplement defines the special conditions for the certification of complex and specific article groups of this kind; however, it is only valid for market-ready finished/end products.

Raw materials in preliminary stages by contrast cannot be certified. One special feature of the "Special Articles" supplement is the fact that for various special articles, different components (usually non-textile) are excluded from the tests and thus are not taken into account. You can find more information at www.oeko-tex.com/supplement-special-articles.

If you require more information on the new OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Supplements, please contact one of the OEKO-TEX® institutes or representative offices (www.oekotex.com/institutes).© OEKO-TEX®

About TESTEX®

TESTEX is an independent Swiss testing and certification organisation operating worldwide with the focus on textile testing. In addition to its headquarters in Zurich (Switzerland), TESTEX has twelve other branch offices.

TESTEX has been testing, analysing and certifying with the focus on the textile sector since 1846. The long-established company has become highly regarded, initially in Europe and subsequently also worldwide, for its high-quality services, its independence and its innovative energy.